Upperhand
by limitedvocab
Summary: SLASH. You are warned beforehand. Troy x Ryan. Troy is left with Ryan to clean up the mess they made in the lab. Troy has feelings for Ryan but is unable to voice them out. Thankfully Ryan is a smart lad.


**Upperhand:**

"Are you even listening Bolton?" Ryan snapped as he jabbed Troy violently with mop handle.

Swatting the mop handle away he stared blankly at the blackboard of the empty lab. "Go away Ryan."

"I would if I could." Ryan cursed bitterly as he mopped the purple liquid off the floor. "Sorry for not being sympathetic Bolton but please pull yourself together and start working on the tables will you!"

Ryan Evans was not feeling too gracious today. His day started off fine until he got assigned to Troy Bolton as lab partner. Normally he would be quite alright with the teacher's decisions. He had partnered with Troy for a number of times and he actually enjoyed working with that handsome lad – A LOT.

But just not today. Today Troy was being difficult. Difficult to himself and everyone else. Other than being a klutz today in the lab, Troy Bolton came close of becoming an armature arsonist.

Adjusting his arctic grey flatcap, he huffed haughtily, "You jilted her Bolton. She should be the one having problems adjusting not you."

"I'm surprised you did not end up using the handle to mop the floor." Troy mumbled as he observed the angry blond before him.

"Shut up Bolton. I'm not that daft!" Ryan glared at Troy darkly.

It had been three weeks since the official break up of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. He was not entirely sure how and why he ended his relationship with Gabriella. One thing was for sure. He no longer loved her. Was it even love to start with? He liked her. A lot. His level of fondness toward her was way higher than those he had for the other girls in East High.

"I'm not even sure is it even love…" Troy read his thoughts aloud.

Ryan turned around to study the brunet who was leaning nonchalantly against the wall. Troy had not even removed his laboratory coat. Well it looked good on him Ryan thought silently with a small smile resting on his lips as he continued back mopping the floor.

"This is torture…" Ryan groaned.

"Yes…it is torture…no…it's tragic." Troy replied or more like talking to himself.

With those words uttered, Ryan shot Troy a disgusted look. "I'm talking about the process of mopping."

Troy sighed as he headed toward Ryan and seated himself on a clean worktable. He observed the tired blond before him. "You look tired."

"Thank you for noticing. How about a hand here?" Ryan stood up straight and gazed steadily at Troy. "I'm not used to this."

"Ryan… how do you know you are in love? I mean what is love?" Troy asked.

Dumfounded by the question Ryan asked, "Ok. How did that come about?" He might look a bit like a sissy but he was pretty sure he was not 100 percent into sappiness.

"Just tell me…" Troy begged as he watched the pretty blond cast him a questioning stare.

"Well you tell me first why you end it with Gabriella. She's not good enough for you?"

"No…I…I'm not entirely sure." Troy said, looking confused. "Well I am clear that my feelings for her are not…it's hard to explain. And you won't get it."

More like Troy did not want Ryan to get it.

Ryan cocked a brow. He could sense Troy hiding something from him. "She is coping it way better than you are. She even got herself a new boyfriend in less than a week time." Ryan paused momentarily as he studied those deep blue eyes. "Gabriella said that you weren't exactly enthusiastic to be with her anymore. She did not want you to cheat on her. She said you were I love with someone else.'

"What?!" Troy exclaimed, shocked. "How…wait, she told who else about this?"

"As far as I am aware of it, me alone…So it's true. You are…" Ryan was cut short by Troy.

"No! Yes! It's complicated. I…yes I am in love with another person but it's one sided." Troy explained himself. "Wait. How much did she tell you?"

"Enough to extrapolate."

"That sounds dangerously a lot." Troy coughed uncomfortably. He glanced surreptitiously at the gorgeous blond who seated himself on the worktable opposing his. Slowly averting his gaze to the floor he cursed silently. He could see those crystal blue eyes studying him curiously.

"Ah, but my inference might be wrong" the blond uttered as he watched the brunet with keen eyes.

Troy kept quiet. How awkward. How sickeningly hilarious his current position was. He broke up with his girl due to the person sitting right before him. He had denied those feelings he had for the other boy for far too long. Hoping that it would subside and eventually be erased out of his thoughts. Big mistake. The denial had only made his love for Ryan stronger.

"Guess Gab noticed it." Troy laughed bitterly as he massaged his temple.

Ryan shrugged. It was the best reply at the moment.

Troy lifted his head and gazed straight into Ryan's eyes. If he could never honestly tell Ryan about his feelings, maybe he could do it indirectly. Better not.

"She did not tell you everything, right?" Troy queried.

Ryan observed Troy briefly and pondered for a second or two. "No."

"Ok…I believe in her and your words"

"I'm sure your friends will understand" Ryan smiled.

Seeing that gentle smile, Troy smiled back weakly. "I guess so."

"So why don't you tell that special guy about your feelings?" Ryan asked as he removed the rubber gloves from his hand.

Troy sighed and answered, "I don't want to lose him."

"Do you really like him?" Ryan watched Troy fiddling with his pen.

"I love him. That's what causing all this confusion. I just want…I want to believe I'm straight. I mean I like girls but to be emotionally involved, it scares the hell out of me."

"I know. They are pretty demanding" Ryan agreed as he thought of Zeke and his twin Sharpay. Poor Zeke.

"The right person is like the missing piece in a person. In me. It's like the final piece to the jigsaw puzzle."

"And is he the right person?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Dead certain?"

"Dead certain."

"Bolton, I'm sure he will accept you." Ryan said with a smile as he stood up.

"How can you be so sure?" Troy sighed.

"Cause I know." Ryan grabbed Troy's lab coat and kissed him. Troy could feel Ryan's soft lips pressing hardly against his. Ryan's lips tasted like honey. Troy cupped Ryan's face and pried open Ryan's lips with his tongue to taste the warm sweetness within it. This was no kiss like another. They kissed as if there was no tomorrow and their lives depended on it. Each lash of their tongues was a dark fiery flame of passion for one another.

It was a very passionate kiss.

"Wow…"

"Is that all you can say?" Ryan smirked.

"How…"

"I lied. Gabriella told me everything. Now help me with this or that will be the last time I'm kissing you."


End file.
